Assam to expand its agricultural base with maize

Assam, a state best known for tea cultivation, is expanding its agricultural output by exploring maize production. Rubber Board is also exploring the possibility of whether rubber could be planted around the tea estates.

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Assam is largely known for its tea cultivation, and accounts for around 55% of India’s tea production. It employs more than 10 lakh tea workers in the organized sector, working in about 850 big estates. However, the state is now looking to expand its agricultural base.

Doom Dooma Municipal Board of Tinsukia district in Assam has recently initiated an organic project on a dumping ground. Approximately 12 bighas (4.8 acres) of land that had been a dumping ground for several years, is now being utilized for Maize cultivation.

Rupesh Gowala, the MLA of Doom Dooma planted the Maize seeds. While sowing the seeds he said, “The dumping ground was there for several years now, and we have decided to clear it and take to scientic mode of waste disposal.”

The MLA further informed, “It is an experiment on how the crop of Maize in 12 bigha of land does. Two trucks of the disposal of refuse derived fuel were sent to a cement kiln of Meghalaya. This will be used as fuel in the Cement kiln.”

Increasing output and productivity by expanding the area under cultivation is part of a strategy to meet India’s demand for biofuels. Corn was the third most grown cereal in 2022-23 in the country. Its production is estimated to be 34.6 million tonnes, compared to 33.7 million tonnes last year. Agriculture secretary Manoj Ahuja noted that as the demand for ethanol production is rising, India plans to increase corn production by 10 million tons over the coming years.

In order to bring down the exorbitant import bill, Assam has also been identified by the Rubber Board as the next location for the expansion of rubber plantations.